


Into the Arms of the Georgia Sun

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Series: Elysian Fields [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gen, M/M, Magical Realism, Shifter AU, Shifter!Carl, Shifter!Sasha, Supernatural Elements, shifter!Daryl, shifter!Rick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-07 14:46:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6809722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A companion piece to As the Heavens Set Fire full of unrepentant fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Into the Arms of the Georgia Sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Daily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daily/gifts), [Bennyhatter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bennyhatter/gifts).
  * Inspired by [As the Heavens Set Fire](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6421804) by [Gothams_Only_Wolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf). 



> _**Caveat: This won't make much sense if you haven't read As the Heavens Set Fire but it can be read as it's own piece.**_
> 
> So Daily won the fic because they guessed the line correctly. It's from Dragonheart (1996)! I do recommend the movie series; they're wonderful even if the first two are harder to find than the third. 
> 
> Thank you to Bennyhatter and Daily and the ton of other readers I have! 
> 
> Also, no spoilers for AtHSF so you can read this guilt-free. 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

**-Alexandria Safe Zone; Washington D.C-**

Daryl yawns, his tongue curling and his whiskers quivering before he closes his mouth. He snorts as he stretches, claws sliding out as he kneads the dirt in front of him and extends his hind legs with a bit of a shake. 

Padding around the house he and Rick share with Carl, Daryl lopes down the road; a sight Alexandrians are so familiar with that they only wave as he passes them. He nods back and scents the air easily. Rick's on the West side, talking about expanding past their usual walls. He glides through the cut grass and sees Rick discussing with Abraham and Tobin about how best to use the panelling. 

Daryl rumbles softly as he brushes against Rick in an affectionate gesture, tempering his strength by sitting down. 

Tobin glances and then goes back to talking with Abraham, hands gesturing as Rick settles on the gazebo recently built. Daryl lays his head on Rick's thigh kneading the ground as Rick digs his clever fingers into Daryl's thick ruff. He goes boneless, rumbling softly between his breaths. 

"You miss me, kitten?" Rick hums as he changes the direction of his stroke, strong hands smoothing the fur along his back and ribs. 

_Yeah,_ Daryl would've been blushing in his human form. They've only been together since the prison but he wouldn't change that fact for anything. He's still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Rick chose him and keeps choosing him. It makes him shy outside of his second skin, where it's easier to accept affection. _Den's not a home without you 'r Carl._

"I'm done here for the day. Abraham, Daryl 'n I are going out for a meat run. We'll be back before sundown." 

_We are?_ Daryl's head lifts up, whiskers forward as his ears perk up. 

"Denise said we're running low in the freezer again. Bigger place to feed." Rick explains and Daryl's on his feet in moments. 

_Shifted?_

"Makes it easier." Rick murmurs as he starts walking toward the gates. 

_We bringin' Carl?_

"No. He's watching Sam with Sophia." Which basically meant the two were mooning over each other with puppy love in their eyes and Sam was ignoring it to play with them. 

_Gotcha._

"Besides," here Rick lowers his voice to almost a whisper, "I wanted to spend some alone time with you." 

Daryl chuffs and chatters, amusement clear in his reply. _Thought you already had it._

"Daryl!" Rick's own blush makes Daryl grin mentally.

* * *

Rick Shifts just before the gates, the magnificent silver and ticked coat with white teasing Daryl. He wants to muss it up and get it dirty. Daryl swallows his spit before he drools at the sight of his One's second skin. They make quite the pair as they stride through Alexandria. 

Rick's Shift garners appreciative looks that Daryl only snorts at; Rick's so far gone on Daryl, he never looks anywhere else. 

It took Daryl the longest time to figure it out but when he did—Well, there wasn't any competition when they weren't even in the race. 

He nudges Rick and they laugh together, Rick's tongue lolling out as Daryl chatters his teeth. 

Sasha lets them through with a whistle that Daryl returns with a cat-chirp. 

It means they'll be back before she's off of wall duty. 

They glide through the underbrush, paws almost silent against the rustle of leaves that litter the forest floor. 

Daryl waits until they're far enough from Alexandria before he scales a tree, muscles bunching as he claws his way up the pine trunk. Rick whines in confusion, his banner of a lush tail low as he starts scenting the ground. He jumps to a lower branch and starts wiggling as he sets himself up. The branch creaks dangerously and Daryl launches himself at Rick, missing by nearly a foot as he lands with a thump. 

He skids on his hind paws and bats at Rick with front claws sheathed. Rick's tongue lolls out as he bowls Daryl over with his shoulder as the checking point. They play like cubs tumbling over one another and nipping without breaking thick fur or skin. Daryl lands on the bottom during the last round, chest heaving as he looks up at Rick with the closest thing to a purr he can manage. 

Rick buries his face in Daryl's throat, breathing in his scent and wags his tail with a lazy wave. 

Yeah, even at of the end of the world, Daryl has it good.

* * *

Finding deer in the North is easier because they're much bolder than they usually are with no humans to hunt them. Rick flushes them out with a bark, running them straight into Daryl's claws and teeth. They chase the herd for the weak, the sick and the old, thinning the herd in such a way that it's better for the health of the forest overall. 

_So I took o' th' forest, so I return o' th' forest._ Daryl digs into three of the deer, spilling their warm lifefont for any God or Goddess that lingers here. He leaves them entirely, knowing that the forest will put them to good use. Of the remaining six, he and Rick share one while splitting the liver with carefully tugging and eating side-by-side in well-deserved contentment. 

**Why do you do that?**

_Somethin' my Nanna taught me. 'S a Dixon thing._ A Dixon thing means it's magic, his magic that flows through his blood and that he's used countless times to protect Rick. 

**Oh. Anyone else have a Dixon thing?**

_A few people we know._

**Alright.** Rick's not overly concerned since Daryl isn't. **The deer can hold for a little while.**

_C'n... C'n I show you something?_

**Of course.**

* * *

The clearing's bright and open, full of flowers that don't bloom in the South at all. Daryl does a sweep of the outer edge and then lolls amongst the flowers, rolling over to show his stomach to Rick, eyes soft and welcoming. Rick gently snuffles at the thick fur on his belly before nosing Daryl to curl around him. Daryl grooms his One, his raspy tongue sweeping away the drying blood on Rick's white muzzle. 

He looks up every so often watching for the dead as Rick returns the gentle treatment. 

White at the edge of his vision means he turns his head for the source and his breath catches. The Forest God that blessed Daryl just enough to let him find Sophia is quietly grazing on a flower, the dark eyes nearly fathomless as the being gazes at them. 

**_I see you've found your One at last, Daryl of Clan Dixon. May I be introduced?_ **

_This is Rick Grimes, my One. Rick, meet..._

**_Bán. I followed Clan Dixon across the ocean._ **

**Pleasure.** Rick nods at Bán, continuing to lick Daryl clean. 

**_I will leave you to your beloved, Daryl of Clan Dixon. Should you have need of me, speak my name with magic in your breath. I shall come to your aid._** Bán dips his head in acknowledgement and vanishes into the copse of trees. 

_He, uh, he helped me find Sophia,_ Daryl offers as Rick presses his cheek against their Claim, _back when we lost her in Georgia._

**Oh. Are they... all like that?**

_Forest Gods? Nah. Some 'r vengeful, some are resigned an' only a little still speak t' humans. Bán's been in th' family Grimoire for a long time now. He's our Patron God. Nanna mentioned that since I'm a cat, I c'n probably call on a Cat Goddess but I gotta be specific about my intentions. Mostly 'cause a few are warriors 'n don't appreciate bein' called for the little things._ Daryl explains as he nuzzles Rick's muzzle with his own. 

**Makes sense.** Rick murmurs as he reluctantly stands. **Should probably be headin' back soon.** Daryl follows, a shadow at the heels of his very own Georgia sun.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


End file.
